Smoke-operated electrical alarm device



Oct. 7, 1952 s. GlUDlCE 2,613,259

SMOKE-OPERATED ELECTRICAL ALARM DEVICE Filed March 17, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR.

SANTE GIUDICE HIS ATTORNEY Oct. 7, 1952 5. GIUDICE 2,613,259

SMOKE-OPERATED ELECTRICAL ALARM DEVICE Filed. March 17, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. SANTE GIUDICE BY DES JARDI NS, ROBINSON 8. KEISER 5 AT TOF'NEf/S Patented Oct. 7, 1952 optics SMOKE-OPERATED ELECTRICAL ALARM DEVICE Sante Giudice, Owosso, Mich.

Application March 17, 1949, Serial No. 81,911

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a smoke-operated electrical alarm device, and it pertains particularly to a device which has a chambered member through which air in a room, in which the device is installed, is circulated to be discharged through a filter which reduces the rate of discharge of air, when same is contaminated with smoke, thereby causing a warning signal to be given.

The signal device is especially adapted for use inwarehouses, stockrooms and like places which are infrequently or only occasionally visited so that an alarm signal will be immediately given when the air in the room has become contaminated with an undue amount of smoke, thereby having prompt and immediate attention called to the situation. The device is also useful inv factories and offices after closing hours, especially .as an aid to the watchman. If there be no watchman, the alarm may be placed at some exposed part of the building where it will be heard by one passing by the building or within the hearing of the alarm. The device is also constructed so that no false alarm will be given when it is rendered inoperative or is not in working order, and it may advantageously have a signal device to signify when same is not in operation.

The invention comprises a chamber member having two discharge outlets through which surrounding air is continuously circulated by suitable means, such as an aspirator, when the surrounding air is free of smoke. A movable means is associated'with each of the outlets, each of said means being connected to open and close an electrical alarm circuit. The movable means for one of the outlets will in one position open the electrical alarm circuit, and is normally held in this position by the air which is discharged through the outlet with which the movable device is associated. The air passing through this discharge outlet is filtered and when it is contaminated with smoke, its rate of discharge therethrough will be reduced, causing the movable means to close the alarm circuit and give the alarm. The other discharge outlet from the chambered member permits the air to. be at all times, when the device is in operation, discharged therethrough, whether or not the air be contaminated with smoke and the movable means associated therewith will be actuated to keep the electrical alarm circuit closed. When, however, air is not being discharged from this outlet, as well as the filtering outlet, because of the device not being in operation, this movable means is so connected with the alarm circuit that it will open same to prevent a false alarm. Each of the movable means may be a pivoted arm that is disposed to make or break contact with a contact member in the circuit. The arms carry means in the path of the discharged circulated air so that the arms are respectively held inone position when air is being circulated, and in another position when no air is being circulated, or the rate of fiow of the air in the filtered outlet is reduced.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an alarm device which will cause an alarm I,

to be given as a result of the smoke contaminated alr.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device having an alarm control passage through which the surrounding air can be fed while it is free from smoke but is reduced in its rate of fiow therethrough when contaminated with smoke.

Another object of the invention is to provide a counter control passage to prevent a false alarm.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device having two discharge outlets through which the surrounding air can be at all times discharged while free ,from smoke, and provided with means for automatically reducing the rate of flow of smoke filled air through one of the outlets and causing an alarm to be given upon the closing of said outlet.

Further. objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of operation, will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. A structure, constituting an embodiment of the invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, form ing a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the invention, but with the filter chamber removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of that part of the device including the chambered member and the superimposed filter chamber.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.- 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the discharge outlets and the associated movable members, and showing the alarm wiring circuit.

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram showing the relative normal positioning of the two removable circuit closers in the electrical alarm systems.

Referring specifically to the drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like parts,

numeral 2 is a base support to which are fixed brackets 3 on which an aspirator 4, driven by electric motor 5, is mounted. The aspirator has an intake opening to the surrounding air, and is connected on its discharge end to one end of a vertical tube '3, also mounted on the supporting bracket. The opposite end of the tube is in communication with and fixed to a chambered member 1, preferably cylindrical in conformation although it may be of any other desired shape. The top end 8 of member 1 is provided with two outlets '9 and [0, each of which is surrounded by a respective tubular projection II and I2 attached to the end 8 of the chambered member 7. Outlet 9 is surrounded by a filter chamber base support [3 which is of a contour to seat the bottom section of a plurality of superimposed glass sections I4, [5 and I6 which together comprise a filter chamber ll. The bottom section It is open on the bottom end to be in communication with outlet 9 over which said section M is placed when seated on the chamber base support [3. The top end of the bottom section [4 has a nozzle [8 extended to project within the next superimposed section i5 which also has an open bottom seated upon the top of section M. This section is of the same general construction and shape as section i4 butsmaller in size. The top section IB has an open bottom, seating on the top of the intermediate section l5, and a side nozzle I9 is open to the atmosphere. A smoke filtering diaphragm covers nozzle 58, this diaphragm being of silk or of any other material suitable for filtering smoke from the air.

A movable member is mounted adjacent the outlet 9, this member being in the form of an arm '25 of electrically conductive material and pivoted at one end to a cross piece 22, also of electric conductive material, between two supports of non-conductive material that are fixed to the top of end B of chambered member 7. A weight 26, such as cork or some light weight composition material, is carried by the free end of the arm 2| in position to register with the outlet 9 in the top end 8 of chambered member 1. An electric contact 21, connected to an electric signal circuit, is disposed in position to be contacted by the arm 2! when said weight 26 on the arm seats upon the top of the tubular extension I l and will be out of contact with said arm when the weight 28 thereon is lifted out of contact with the tubular extension 9. Air is drawn into the chambered member by the aspirator and discharged through outlet 5, thereby lifting the weight 26 and the free end of the arm so that the arm is out of contact with the electric contact 21. The flow of air through outlet 9 continues unimpeded so long as the air is free of smoke and until the smoke filled air reaches the filter which then reduced its rate of flow through the outlet 9, causing the arm carrying the weight 26, to drop and contact the electric contact 2'! in the electrical alarm circuit and close same to give the alarm signal.

There is another movable member associated with the other outlet ll], this being in the form of an arm 28 of the same general construction as arm 2!. One end of the arm 28, of conductive material, is pivoted to a cross piece 29, also of conductive material, between non-conductive supports 35, and its opposite free end has a weight 3|, of such material as cork or other light weight composition, disposed to register with outlet lil. This weight 3| is normally held away from the end of the extension tube l2, from outlet H), by air being discharged therethrough. In this case the electrical contact 32 which is connected to the electrical circuit 33 is disposed to be in contact with the arm 28 when same is raised, that is to say, with the weight thereon held out of contact with the end of the extension tube l2. Should, therefore, the device be stopped and the air not forced through outlet 10, the arm will be moved out to open the circuit before the other arm 2| moves against its contact member to close the circuit, thereby keeping the alarm circuit open and preventing a false alarm being given. The device will be constructed so that arm 28, in dropping, will break contact with its contact piece slightly before arm 2| makes contact with its contact piece in the circuit so that the alarm circuit will be open when both arms are held up by the discharged air, and it will also be open when both arms drop. The circuit is closed to give the alarm when the one arm 21 drops. Any electrically operated alarm, such as bell 34, is connected to the circuit.

The bell 34 is illustrative of one kind of an alarm, and preferably an audible one, but an inaudible alarm, such as an electric light could be used if desired. In fact the device might be connected in various ways either to give an alarm within the building, in the vicinity outside of the building, or transmitted to some desired remote point. It could be connected to give an alarm directly to the fire station, or it might be hooked up with the telephone so that the telephone receiver would be automatically removed and the alarm automatically transmitted to the operator who would relay it to the fire station. The present invention lends itself to a wide adaptation as to the manner in which the fire alarm is given and to Whom.

From the foregoing description of the device, its operation should be apparent. It is placed in a room and wired into the electrical circuit of an alarm system, preferably an audible one. The surrounding air in the room is continuously circulated through the device by the aspirator, driven by the motor, causing the air to normally be discharged through each of the outlets from the chambered device. This circulation ofair will continue so long as the aspirator is being run and until the air is filled with smoke, when subsequently the circulation of air through the filter will be reduced in its rate of flow, causing the movable contact carrying member enclosed thereby to drop and close the circuit in the alarm system. The alarm circuit maker and breaker carried by the movable member that is associated with the other outlet is to prevent a false alarm being given when the device is not in operation. Air is continuously discharged through this other outlet, irrespective of the condition of the air, so long as the device is in operation, but when the circulation of air is stopped both of the movable members drop. Since the movable member that is associated with the filter control outlet will drop and close the circuit, the other movable member is arranged to counter-act this condition and open the circuit before it is closed by the firstmentioned movable member. Thus the alarm is not given when the air circulation through both outlets is shut oif, but is given only when it is shut off from passing through the filtered'outlet. Thus giving a false alarm is obviated.

I am aware that the device shown herein may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention and, therefore, I claim my invention broadly as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to, secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A smoke-operated electrical alarm device comprising a chamber having a plurality of outlets through which air is circulated, an electrical alarm circuit, means movably mounted adjacent one of the outlets for opening and closing said circuit, means movably mounted adjacent the other outlet for opening and closing said circuit, an aspirator connected to circulate air through the chamber and discharge it through both of said outlets against said movable means for holding one of said means in open-circuit position and the other means in closed-circuit position,

and means for reducing the rate of fiow of the air through one of said outlets to permit the movable means which is in open-circuit position to move to closed-circuit position when the air is contaminated with smoke.

2. An alarm device as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for reducing the rate of discharge of air through said outlet is a filtering device.

' 3; An alarm device as set forth in claim 2 in which the filtering device includes an outlet having a filtering diaphragm therein.

4. A smoke-operated electrical alarm device comprising a chambered member having a pair of outlets through which air is adapted to be discharged, an electric alarm circuit, movable means associated with one of the outlets for opening and closing said circuit, said means being aligned with the outlet and biased to normally close the circuit but is adapted to be moved by air passing through said outlet to open the circuit, means associated with said outlet for reducing the rate of discharge of air through said outlet when the air is contaminated with smoke, thereby causing the movable means to move to closed circuit position, and means associated with the other outlet movable to open the circuit before it is closed by the first means when air is not being discharged through both of said outlets.

5. A smoke-operated electrical alarm device comp-rising a chambered member having a pair of outlets through which air is adapted to be discharged, an electrical alarm circuit, a pivoted member disposed to be moved to open circuit position by air being discharged through one of the outlets, filter means for reducing the rate of discharge of air through said outlet when it is contaminated with smoke, thereby causing the pivoted member to close the circuit, and a second pivoted member associated with the other outlet adapted to be moved to closed circuit position by air passing through said outlet and biased to move to open circuit position when air does not pass through the opening.

6. A smoke-operated electrical alarm system as set forth in claim 5 in which each of the pivoted members carry a member aligned with one of the outlets in the chambered member.

7. A smoke controlled electrical alarm system comprising a base having a motor operated aspirator mounted thereon, an electrical alarm circuit, a chambered member connected to said aspirator provided with two discharge outlets, a pivoted arm disposed to be moved to open and close the circuit and adapted to be moved to close the circuit by air discharged through the outlet, a filtering chamber mounted over the discharge outlet for receiving air discharged through said outlet, and a second pivoted arm disposed to be moved to open and close the circuit, said second arm being held to closed-circuit position by air being discharged from the second outlet and adapted to move to open the circuit, before said circuit is closed by the first arm, when air is not being discharged through said second outlet.

8. A pressure-responsive electrical alarm system comprising a chamber having a plurality of outlets through which a fluid is circulated under pressure, an electrical alarm circuit, means movably mounted adjacent to one of the outlets for opening and closing said circuit, means movably mounted adjacent the other outlet for opening and closing said circuit and means for reducing the flow of fluid through one of said outlets to permit the movable means, which is in open circuit position when the fluid is circulated under pressure through said outlet, to move to closed circuit position on reduction of the rate of flow of the fluid through said outlet.

9. A pressure-responsive electrical alarm as set forth in claim 8 in which the means for reducing the rate of flow of the fluid is a filtering device.

SANTE GIUDICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,009,338 Perkins Nov. 21, 1911 1,411,802 Mosher Apr. 4, 1922 2,127,823 Leifheit Aug. 23, 1938 2,320,368 Leathers June 1, 1943 2,328,131 Eisler Aug. 31, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 446,933 Great Britain May 11, 1936 

